More Evidence Next iPhone to Have Front Facing Camera, iChat, and More

[Viantay]

Verizon? Lol, ain't happening. You won't get any data while on a call... and besides, Apple is pushing the whole 7.2Mb/s iPhone 3GS; I highly doubt that Apple would want slower theoretical speeds to advertise.

This is a very easy fix. A phone conversation is basically just data anyways, so why not only sell the iPhone on verizon with unlimited "voice" and data, but in reality it's all just done over the data network. And now we have a phone call and data at the same time. It's really not that far fetched. I technically already do this with my verizon MiFi hotspot combined with Skype. I cancelled my AT&T iPhone plan a while back. This is going to be even better now that multitasking is coming our way! Now if they can just combine the two devices in one.

Now, is Verizon getting the iphone, meh probably not soon, but the "no data while on a call" won't be the reason they don't get it. That can be worked around.

 

[L-U-R-C-H]

I'll Believe it When I See it

This front-facing camera rumor has gone on for way too long. I HIGHLY doubt Apple is going to add it to the iPhone. Seriously, they would have added it a long time ago if they thought it would be so beneficial. And a flash...are you kidding me? Apple is not going to ad a flash to the iPhone. I mean, how often do you take photos in the dark?! If you want to take a descent photo in the dark, get out your point and shoot. It's a PHONE people. I can see the "double" resolution coming to the next iPhone however. It seems like a lot of other manufacturers are doing it, so I can totally see this in the next iPhone.

 

[Xavier]

Couldn't bandwidth usage be the major "hold-up" to adding a feature like video conferencing on the iPhone?

 

[Salacion]

If you don't mind paying for costly and space- (an absolute precious thing on such small devices) and bandwidth-wasting hardware features you won't use: Just go on, moniker. I am sure: Steve loves you.

You just really want to be a troll. Let me make one thing clear to you:
A front facing camera WON'T waste bandwidth UNLESS YOU USE IT! >.>

This front-facing camera rumor has gone on for way too long. I HIGHLY doubt Apple is going to add it to the iPhone. Seriously, they would have added it a long time ago if they thought it would be so beneficial. And a flash...are you kidding me? Apple is not going to ad a flash to the iPhone. I mean, how often do you take photos in the dark?! If you want to take a descent photo in the dark, get out your point and shoot. It's a PHONE people. I can see the "double" resolution coming to the next iPhone however. It seems like a lot of other manufacturers are doing it, so I can totally see this in the next iPhone.

And how long has everyone wanted multitasking? 2 years? Apple gave it to us. No reason Apple isn't considering giving us a front facing camera.

 

[Nein01]

ROTFLMAO. I guess I missed all the great innovations out of the USSR.

ROTFLMAO. they sent the first human into space, that's all.

Sorry, but almost all technological advancement depends on people thinking that they can profit from their invention. Even academic research is tied in more with the profit motive these days.

yes, all the research that shows how the profit motive is forever married to self-interest and when utilized as the foundation for a system of production will inevitably collapse onto itself. methods of production cheapen, resources are not rationed, quality of goods declines, quality of life declines, value of money declines. it's ouroboros - we eat our own tail that way. go learn something.

 

[mr.steevo]

Couldn't bandwidth usage be the major "hold-up" to adding a feature like video conferencing on the iPhone?

yep

 

[Sneakz]

*cough* carrier issue *cough*

Ask our Canadian neighbors if tethering works north of the border.

It works. Very well infact. 3G users can get around 3 Mbit/s and 3GS users can reach over 4 Mbit/s.

 

[psingh01]

I don't understand why Apple includes features that I will never use - Macrumors poster


I for one would love a video conferencing camera added. I can only assume this is why the iPad had it's removed. If they already have it on the iPad then buyers won't be so impressed with it on the iPhone. Next year Apple will "upgrade" the iPad to include the camera and people will buy that too.

 

[xiaoyuwang]

Wouldn't double the resolution make text on web pages twice as small? Currently, web pages are usable natively without zooming in.

Can someone explain the practical benefits?

Double res doesn't mean smaller font. Font rendering is controlled by DPI that can be device independent.

For example, you can choose 128DPI or 96 DPI on windows machine but still share the same resolution. (I get it, why did I use windows as an example??)

 

[headsupftw]

i hate seeing people spend money on lousy first revisions *cough*ipad*cough* and/or minor refreshes when they already own a recent gen model.

Cough all you want dude. You simply don't know what you are missing. Lack of FFC makes iPad a lousy first revision? HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

 

[callmemike20]

ROTFLMAO. they sent the first human into space, that's all.


yes, all the research that shows how the profit motive is forever married to self-interest and when utilized as the foundation for a system of production will inevitably collapse onto itself. methods of production cheapen, resources are not rationed, quality of goods declines, quality of life declines, value of money declines. it's ouroboros - we eat our own tail that way. go learn something.

The USSR followed your logic, and where are they now?

You are basically saying capitalism will collapse...Don't tell people to go learn something when you are simply giving your own opinion.


___________
As for the front facing camera, I wouldn't mind it, but I probably wouldn't use it. I would like to see a higher quality back camera with a flash. Also, improved battery life would be nice, (at least 5 hours of heavy usage of apps and stuff).

 

[jupp0r]

What does iChat, which is a very low profile software application have to do with the next iPhone hardware?

 

[L-U-R-C-H]

What does iChat, which is a very low profile software application have to do with the next iPhone hardware?

Haha no kidding...

 

[RedTomato]

I would love a front facing camera, and so would most of my family and many of my friends. Reason being we're all deaf and/or use sign language. Having a front-facing camera would let us make sign calls instead of voice calls which we can't access.

I had a front-facing camera on my HTC phone FIVE years ago. Didn't use it much as video calls were outrageously expensive then.

If we get a front camera now, I really hope we will be able to make video calls as part of our unlimited 3G allowance (or at least as part of our monthly free minutes) and not be forced to pay by the minute

I think most telcoms still exclude video calling from monthly free minute allowances

 

[L-U-R-C-H]

A front-facing camera would be sweet, but I can't see Apple adding it to the iPhone.

 

[jragosta]

ROTFLMAO. they sent the first human into space, that's all.


yes, all the research that shows how the profit motive is forever married to self-interest and when utilized as the foundation for a system of production will inevitably collapse onto itself. methods of production cheapen, resources are not rationed, quality of goods declines, quality of life declines, value of money declines. it's ouroboros - we eat our own tail that way. go learn something.

Yep. Russia sent the first human into space. Of what value was that to anyone? Your example proves my point. Useful innovations are driven by profit.

As for the rest, let's look at the companies with the highest standard of living and the highest innovation levels. Where is the USSR on that list?

Oh, wait. The USSR (whose system you're praising) imploded because it couldn't sustain itself.

Great example.

 

[raccoontail]

I think there were lots of reasons to skip the 3G and 3Gs. Those of us who have stayed with the original iPhone have been paying $240/less a year in data/text charges and been immune to many of the dropped call issues suffered by 3G owners. The next iPhone upgrade is finally making an upgrade look worthwhile. Probably have a choice of carriers, better screen, multitasking.

good post!
i skipped the original iphone, bought a 3g, skipped the 3gs, and will definitely buy the iphone 4. luckily, i am hitting the sweet spots of this device's upgrade cycle.

 

[Lepton]

It doesn't necessarily imply a camera. The OS includes a gaming kit which in turn includes an in-game voice chat feature. That may be what the iChat agent is doing in there.

 

[Nein01]

capitalism is collapsing. that's not my opinion. open your eyes and look around. is isn't a self-sustaining system. it has exponentially greater booms and busts because the only move it allows us is to pump more money into the hands of consumers when a recession begins. thats the only way to keep it afloat, which isn't a real solution. the country's value is like a pie. we only have so many resources here. sure you can print more money but you'd only be slicing up the pie into smaller pieces. every dollar in circulation is essentially a fiction, owed to someone else, owed back to a bank, owed back to the fed to repay the interest it was borrowed on. Debt is modern slavery. money doesnt mean anything after a certain point, and we're headed that way now. soon we'll be using it as wallpaper again. trade and common property are what make sense. it isn't natural to worship currency the way we do and we are destroying the planet because of it.

i won't continue to post about this cause it'll probably get deleted since this belongs in the political forum anyway.

 

[kas23]

I don't understand why Apple includes features that I will never use - Macrumors poster


I for one would love a video conferencing camera added. I can only assume this is why the iPad had it's removed. If they already have it on the iPad then buyers won't be so impressed with it on the iPhone. Next year Apple will "upgrade" the iPad to include the camera and people will buy that too.

Or, features that I wouldn't use = horrible features (until Steve Jobs introduces them in a Keynote, then they're the best thing since sliced bread).

 

[cutthroughthebs]

... do suspect Apple invested significant time studying the jailbreak community. Anything presented is already usable over there - at least my iPhone 3G is an almost OS 4 iPhone 3GS except, of course, for the mere speed.

That reads: in app ads, multitasking and many more useful tweaks.

That's junk! Your battery last 1/3 of what it should and apple reworked the OS to mt in a way you still have something usable. What your talking about on the jb is junky crap multitasking that eats the battery... Inefficient junk!

 

[cutthroughthebs]

I could care less about a front-facing camera. Just give me an iPhone with 64 gigs of storage and I'll be happy. I want features I'll use every time I pick up the iPhone and I'm sick of picking it up and realizing that song I want to hear is sitting on my computer and isn't on my phone.

Need to slow down then on your illegal DL'ing of copyrighted material then! Pirate!

 

[jragosta]

capitalism is collapsing. that's not my opinion. open your eyes and look around. is isn't a self-sustaining system.

Right. That's why everyone would rather live in Pakistan and Nigeria than in the United States and Europe.

That's not to say that capitalism is perfect - it's not. Many of the failures are specifically related to times when governments override capitalism to implement their own objectives, anyway. But it's irrelevant. Capitalism has been shown to be by far the best route to wealth AND elimination of poverty than any of the alternatives. The fact that you're disputing that fact simply means you're arguing from some philosophical point that's not supported by reality.

 

[jlc1978]

This is a very easy fix. A phone conversation is basically just data anyways, so why not only sell the iPhone on verizon with unlimited "voice" and data, but in reality it's all just done over the data network. And now we have a phone call and data at the same time.

There is more to it than that - incoming calls would still be routed to the VZW number; effectively forcing you to end a data call. In addition, you can't add / drop individual callers like you can on GSM. Now, if VZW developed a VOIP component to handle calls they could overcome the issue. The question is can their data network handle the load and keep call quality?

 

[Jaro65]

I will really enjoy a front-facing camera for my Skype chats. It is a shame we don't have one on an iPad as well. I wonder if that will also get fixed 3 releases down the road....